Welcoming a new puppy into your home can be exciting and stressful. It is important to provide your new pup with a safe, secure place that is all their own and this can be done with crate training. Here are some tips to make the transition easier. First and foremost, it is important that you pick the right size of crate. Your pup should be able to sit, stand, lie down and turn around. With growing pup this can mean buying a few crates in their life time. It is also important that you make the crate nice and cozy for your new puppy, so be sure to put down a blanket or a towel so that they have something soft to lie on. When you are first crate training your puppy, keep the crate somewhere where you and your family spend lots of time, whether it’s the kitchen or the family room.

You can move the crate somewhere else once Fido is used to the crate. You want the kennel to be a safe spot for your pet, so it is important that you don’t push or force your puppy into the crate. The crate should be associated with positive experiences. When you are first staring out, leave the kennel door open and place treats or your dog’s favorite toy inside. We want the puppy to enter the kennel voluntarily. Once your pup is comfortable around the kennel and is going in and out of the kennel, you can start confining them to the kennel in short sessions (about 5 minutes). These sessions should be after a walk or some playtime. A bit of whining/crying is normal and can be ignored. As your puppy gets used to the five minute long sessions, you can slowly increase the amount of time that they are confined in the kennel. After a while of this, your puppy is good to be put in the kennel when needed. Remember that each puppy is different and it may take a while to fully crate train your puppy. Be patient and remember that they are still young and learning so much.